


Read This

by thatdragonchic



Category: Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: M/M, Malec, Malec Fluff, alec + books!, cute malec things, nerdy looking alec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-15
Updated: 2016-04-15
Packaged: 2018-06-02 11:11:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6563947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatdragonchic/pseuds/thatdragonchic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec and Magnus are at Barnes and Noble and Alec is just really excited about books</p>
            </blockquote>





	Read This

**Author's Note:**

> so I took the concepts of "coffee gets the job done" and "Sentiment means more than any value" and just put them together a lil bit but also, they're all totally different things???????? I make a part two to this where they go to Sephora and Magnus just tries on Make up

They were standing between the shelves of a large Barnes and Noble’s, Alec’s eyes scanning the used book shelves as his hand held his iced lattee, Magnus trailing beside him. He was searching for something specific but he found himself gaining interest in every other book. “I only have eighty dollars to spend here,” he muttered defeated and Magnus laughed. 

“That’s a lot for books,” Magnus encouraged, watching him with an amused smile, Alec frowning. 

“When I turned 18 I got 300 dollars in birthday money and spent it mainly on books. Did I tell you I had shelves in the panels behind my bed? Anyways, I get a good paycheck from the clave but i’m not careless.” Alec informed, pulling out the Obsession. “Have you ever read this? It’s amazing book, kind of creepy, kind of really cool and thrilling, it’s one of my favorite books- Nora Roberts also has some other books but this one is my favorite.”

Magnus nodded, listening to his boyfriend intently, grinning as he suddenly found the book in his hands. Magnus used to be a reader though he found more interest in magazines and online articles now- textbooks and politics were more fascinating. Though the way Alexander spoke about books was the way he spoke about nothing else, he picked one up and his eyes lit with fascination. Alec was kneeling to see the other books near the bottom of the shelf and picking another one up. His eyes scoped the back before opening it and scanning the inside cover of the book, looking at the little flap. He sighed bored with it and put it back- not what he was looking for. 

He drifted into the classic literature section, he was familiar with almost every book on the display of the shelves, and Magnus could tell from the fond look of memory on his features as he glanced over each title. “You surely haven’t read all of these, have you?” 

“Most of them. I plow through books quicker than I plow through an assignment. My favorite thing to do is read- read anything, read everything. I just like books… it’s like being allowed to leave my own world without ever really leaving, you know? It’s a sense of escape.”

Magnus nodded sympathetically, eyes softening on his boy. “Ideally, I could take you places and you would never have to pay. I could take you anywhere you wanted.” 

“There’s a thousand places on my mind but not every one of them is real.” 

“Nothing a little magic can’t do, Alexander,” Magnus teased, watching him pick up another book. A play. Then two. “You also need to invest in reading Death of a Salesmen and Our town. They’re both what are referred to ‘coming of age’ plays about things and places and people, read them.” 

“Well most things are about things and places and people. What makes these so good?”

“There’s truth in them and I admire the truth.”

“Serves you well, considering you tend to be an honest man. I saw Death of a Salesman on Broadway, you know?”

“Like… the original on broadway?” Alec asked interested and Magnus nodded. 

“Wished you could have seen it, it was interesting, though some parts were rather boring and long and tedious. People, places, things. Right?”

“Right but not tedious or boring, maybe long. Interesting. People, places, things and struggles.”

“Add to the list of things that make every story.”

“Maybe but conflict serves for fascination. It makes a story interesting.”

“Weren’t you looking for something specific?” Magnus asked, as the thought occured to him, they were just wasting time, casually sipping his own iced coffee and Alec shrugging. 

“I like being here, don’t you?” 

“I like being with you,” Magnus remarked and Alec smiled bashfully before turning away and moving to the history section, eyes scanning.  _ Alexander Hamilton _ by Ron Chernow and after a bit more searching he picked out  _ The Art of War _ by Sun Tzu. 

“Interesting choice of books,” magnus pointed out and Alec shrugged, sipping his coffee as he continued to look, finding a book on cleopatra. 

“Get the book on Cleopatra or don’t…?” He thought aloud, sighing heavily. “I’m gonna get it. Why? Because why not,” he whispered, looking up at Magnus. “I have a problem.” 

“I can tell, Darling,” magnus cooed softly, Alec pouting a bit, seeing another book, tilting his head before shaking his head and standing. “To the used book section. You can  _ always _ find something weird and discontinued there.” 

Magnus nodded, fascinated and following his boyfriend anyways. He was in a short sleeve shirt- a gray one with a celestial supernova one on it, colors never looked better according to Magnus- and skinny jeans that fit Alec too good and black combat boots, his hair was a little messier than usual and Magnus noticed that it was because he didn’t gel it was and the locks were just a natural mess, and rather than his normal contacts, he had thick, black rimmed glasses on. It was a too casual to be real kind of look and Alec looked like just utterly relaxed and so different- Magnus almost wondered if this guy was the same man as his boyfriend but the exaggerated eye rolls, sweet smiles and insistent rolling out of facts assured that no matter how Alec looked, he’d always tend to be the same. Even when he was at his most relaxed. 

Magnus followed and now they were looking at towering shelves in the very back full of used, ancient looking books. “You know, you could just pick some at my house.” 

“Those are your books, read them sometime,” Alec teased, smirking a bit. “Besides, i pride in my book collection and I like to buy them for myself, you know?” 

“I understand.” Magnus nodded, eyes tracing over alec who picked a few more books of interest, then mentally calculated his prices and decided he did have enough, then lead magnus to the counter to pay. Once he had his bag, he was happy, the two exiting into the bustling streets of New York City. “where to next, Alec?” 

“Well it’s your turn to pick, where do you wanna go?” 

“How about sephora?” Magnus teased and Alec shook his head but smiled at his boyfriend, kissing him softly when they stopped at the curb of the block, smiling softly. 

“Whatever makes  _ you _ happy, I’m always willing to do.” 

**Author's Note:**

> leave good vibes in the comments! Tell me what you thought and what could be improved ~


End file.
